Neovim already has powerful built-in tools for searching text and files.

You don't need Telescope or any plugin for basic workflow.

Grepping Text with :grep

Neovim can use any external search tool through :grep .

Check the current grep program:

: set grepprg ?

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Most setups will show something like:

grepprg = rg -- vimgrep - uu

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This means Neovim uses ripgrep ( rg ) for searching.

Better grepprg Configuration

A good default setup:

vim . opt . grepprg = "rg --vimgrep --smart-case --hidden"

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What these flags do

Flag Description

--vimgrep Output format compatible with quickfix

--smart-case Ignore case unless uppercase is used

--hidden Search hidden files too

You can also exclude useless folders:

vim . opt . grepprg = "rg --vimgrep --smart-case --hidden " .. "--glob '!node_modules' " .. "--glob '!.git' " .. "--glob '!dist' " ..…